08/18/2012 – Structure Fire – “B” Shift

Incident # 12-04539 - A Walterboro man is in custody after Deputies apprehended him following a suspected arson fire at 152 Candlelight Road. According to witnesses, shortly before 12:50, the man was involved in a domestic dispute at his home. He poured gasoline over the stove, then set it on fire before fleeing the scene. His family, including several children were inside the residence when he reportedly set it ablaze. Firefighters arrived at the scene minutes later to find the singlewide mobile home filled with smoke. The home reeked of gasoline. The man’s 18 year old son got everyone out of the house and extinguished the fire with a garden hose confining the damage to the kitchen. The stove and the surrounding cabinets were burned by the fire. Firefighters set up PPV fans to clear the smoke from the home and to ventilate the structure. Deputies who were responding to the scene, caught the suspect about 1-1/2 miles away on Keegan Drive. They took him into custody after making a traffic stop on his vehicle. The Sheriff’s Office and State Police Arson Unit (SLED) are investigating the incident. No one was injured.

Engine 19, Engine 26, Tender 5, Tender 19, Tender 26, Medic 19, Battalion 1 and Car 12 responded. Battalion Chief Ben Heape served as Incident Commander.